State visit to Croatia: Day 2

Motiv: The Queen meets students studying Swedish at the University of Zagreb. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/Scanpix

On Wednesday 17 April, The King and Queen continued their state visit to Croatia.

The day began with The King and Queen meeting at the business delegation. The delegation was led by the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise's Kenneth Bengtsson, who presented the delegation and its programme. The King and Queen then visited the University of Zagreb, where they were received by Dr Damir Boras, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy. Professor Goranka Antunović, Head of the Scandinavian Department, spoke about Swedish studies at the faculty. The King and Queen also had the opportunity to tour the classrooms and speak with students. Croatia has eight universities. The University of Zagreb was founded in 1669, and is the oldest continuously operating university in the area. Today, it consists of 29 faculties and three academies of arts. Teaching in Swedish began in 1985, and today almost a hundred Croats study Swedish at the faculty. This teaching enjoys significant support from the Swedish Institute. After the university, The King and Queen visited the company Ericsson Nikola Tesla, where they were met by CEO Gordana Kovačević. Since 1995, Ericsson Nikola Tesla has been half owned by Ericsson. Nikola Tesla received its first licensing agreement with Ericsson in 1953, and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The King and Queen visited the company in 1978 during their state visit to Yugoslavia. The company is an example of successful industrial cooperation between Sweden and Croatia. The King and Queen and the Presidential couple had lunch with the business delegation and representatives from Croatian businesses. The lunch was hosted by the Croatian Employers' Association and Business Sweden. After lunch, The Queen and Tatjana Josipović visited the Silver Rehabilitation Centre. The centre trains assistance dogs which are used in the rehabilitation of disabled people and children with learning difficulties. The King and President Josipović took part in a seminar entitled "Croatia, the new EU Market — How can Sweden be a Business Partner?". The seminar was opened by Minister for the Environment Lena Ek and Deputy Prime Minister Branko Grčić. During the afternoon, The King and Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bild visited the family-run business DOK-ING, where they were met by the company's owner Vjekoslav Majetić and CEO Gordan Kolak. The company is a world-leading manufacturer of remote-controlled mine clearance robots, and also produces advanced firefighting vehicles and electric cars. The day concluded with The King and Queen's reciprocal reception for the Croatian Presidential couple. During the reception, soprano Elin Rombo gave a concert.